C&mmonfocaltlr of lltassaxfoxsjfcfcte. 



To the Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture. 



The committee on the gypsy moth, insects and birds, to 

 whom it was committed " to prevent the spreading and secure 

 the extermination of the Ocneria dispar or gypsy moth in this 

 Commonweallh " by the Board of Agriculture, herewith pre- 

 sents the report of expenditures and of work performed during 

 the past year. 



The committee has held regular meetings once in two weeks 

 throughout the year, which meetings the director has attended, 

 reporting the progress of the work and receiving directions 

 from the committee. In addition to these regular meetings 

 the members of the committee have attended many special 

 committee meetings, and have spent much time in examination 

 of the territory infested by the gypsy moth and in inspecting 

 the work of the employees. The time thus spent by the 

 members of the committee will aggregate about thirty days 

 each. The committee receive no recompense for time spent 

 in this work. Mr. E. H. Forbush, who has filled the place 

 of director of field work since the work was placed in the 

 hands of the Board of Agriculture, has continued in that posi- 

 tion during the past year. Man}'' of the employees of former 

 years have also been retained in their former places, or been 

 promoted to more responsible positions. 



The work of inspecting suspected territory and destroying 

 the eggs of the moth was continued through the month of 

 January and until February 6, when the appropriation of 1894 

 was nearly expended, and the men at work in the field were 

 discharged, leaving tho work of this character planned for the 

 winter and early spring of 1895 incomplete. Tho committee 

 had hoped that the balance remaining of tho 1894 appropria- 

 tion ($20,535.42) would serve to keep this work in progress 



